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A million dollar renewal energy project that could slash local water bills is expected to be in operation by February.

The European Union-funded initiative, according to EU Programme Director for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) Joseph McGann, will significantly reduce the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) biggest operating cost – energy.

However, speaking to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of a national agriculture consultation at Savannah Hotel this morning, McGann made it clear that any decision on whether those savings were passed on to consumers would have to be taken by the authority.

He said the venture entails the installation of solar panels at a water treatment plant at Carlton, Black Rock, St Michael, which would replace the fossil fuels that provide the energy to the pumping station at Carlton.

“We have also planned to invest, which we hope to be completed in another couple of months, US$500,000 for solar panels to do fuel-switching for Carlton Water Treatment Plant in Barbados,” he said, explaining that those bids were currently out to tender until December 16.

If successful, the solar panels could be installed as early as January next year. Therefore, “Barbados will have renewable energy for its water pumping station at Carlton.”